Alistair Tice, Sheffield Socialist Party
Mesothelioma is a killer lung disease, a cancer only caused by exposure to asbestos. Cape is a company that manufactured asbestos products between 1958 and the 1970s. Cape knowingly covered up the dangers, and did not provide warnings, because it would make “selling efforts most difficult” – in other words hit their profits!
Following a legal victory forcing Cape to reveal documents, the Asbestos Victims Support Forum is demanding Cape pay £10 million to Mesothelioma research. But despite its complicity, it is estimated Cape spent millions of pounds to try keep its incriminating documents secret, and has refused to respond to the Forum’s requests.
So, on 30 September, 50 supporters of the ‘Cape Must Pay’ campaign descended on the offices in Thurnscoe, south Yorkshire, of Altrad, now the parent company of Cape. Lawyers, researchers, nurses and especially relations gave heartrending examples of the pain and suffering caused by this fatal
disease.
We marched into the offices, demanding to speak to a company boss. But despite this being its registered office, we were informed that the CEO resides in Montpellier.
However, the noisy invasive protest and associated bad publicity will undoubtedly have been heard in France, and the Forum’s campaign for compensation will continue until justice is gained for all Cape’s Mesothelioma victims.
